Aubrey's Least Favorite Game
by lets-talk-appella
Summary: Or, the three times Aubrey hated Truth or Dare and the one time she didn't. For Bechloe Week 2019: Truth or Dare.


**For Bechloe Week 2019: Truth or Dare**

* * *

The first time Aubrey played Truth or Dare, she swore to never play again.

She was in middle school, and Taryn Henning dared Mitch Benson to kiss her. On the mouth, even. Before Aubrey could protest or punch him, Mitch just swooped down and pressed his awkward seventh grade mouth to hers. He had horrible breath, everyone was looking, and Aubrey just wanted it to end, which it did eventually, thank God. _Then _she punched him.

She was furious for days. You can't just _dare _a first kiss on someone against their will. It's rude, for one thing, and it was her _first kiss_. She had a whole scenario planned for her first kiss (one that involved sunsets and picnics and maybe Leonardo di Caprio), so for one idiot and a stupid game to take that from her was traumatic, to say the least.

Aubrey never wanted to play Truth or Dare again, or any game like it, to be completely honest. And for the most part, she succeeded in that venture. For any subsequent middle school and early high school party, Aubrey abstained from Truth or Dare, Spin the Bottle, Seven Minutes in Heaven, and pretty much every other game her friends seemed to find endless enjoyment in.

Thankfully, the fun of those sorts of games wore off over time. By the time she was a junior in high school, she allowed herself to think that she might actually be free of Truth or Dare for the rest of her life.

And then she went to college and joined the Barden Bellas.

* * *

It wasn't until Alice, the tyrannical Bella captain, dared her and Chloe to streak across campus that Aubrey realized she may have made a mistake in joining the Bellas.

"This is stupid," she said to Chloe even as they undressed behind the auditorium. "It's hazing, you know, and we could seriously bust them for this."

Chloe shrugged and Aubrey looked pointedly up at the night sky; Chloe was already naked. "It's not like it's dangerous," she said. "It's bonding, like Alice said. Just Truth or Dare. We'll get her back next round."

"We could get in trouble," Aubrey reminded her as she finished stripping and placed her clothes in a neat pile against the side of the building with Chloe's.

"No one's out there," Chloe assured her. She was right; it was a Saturday evening right at the start of the school year, so campus had become a ghost town.

"_Still,"_ Aubrey emphasized, crossing her arms over her chest and angling her body slightly to the side. She didn't understand why Chloe wasn't more upset about this. She also definitely didn't understand how Chloe could just… stand there, totally natural, as if she wasn't in her birthday suit in front of a near-stranger. They'd only met that night at the first rehearsal, and yet, Chloe was acting like they'd been friends for years.

Chloe shifted in place, glancing toward the window Alice and the other sophomore Bellas were watching them from. "Look, I know it's not great, but if we wanna join the Bellas, we just have to do this little dare. Just this one, okay?"

"We've been doing stupid dares for that stupid game all night," Aubrey complained. "You really think this is the last one?"

"I…" Chloe hesitated, then looked down. "I just really want to be a Bella, okay?"

Aubrey deflated slightly. She understood completely. "Fine," she agreed through clenched teeth, bringing Chloe's eyes back up to meet hers. "But when we're co-captains of the Bellas," she said, making Chloe smile, "let's promise not to make new girls do crap like this, okay?"

"Deal," Chloe said, then, "Race you?"

It was dumb, but even that hint of competition made Aubrey's stomach tighten. "You got it," she said stiffly, stopping herself from looking at Alice. She didn't want to give her the satisfaction.

"Ready?" Chloe asked, starting in a lunge that Aubrey mirrored. "Three… two… one… go!"

It wasn't until later, after their naked sprint across campus was done and they'd put their clothes back on, that Aubrey wondered if Chloe had let her win. The more she thought about it, hovering in the back of her mind even as Alice officially welcomed her and Chloe to the Bellas ("I guess you slut-bags are in it for the long haul," she'd said), the more Aubrey was certain that Chloe had only done the whole thing to take her mind off of the situation.

As much as Aubrey had hated that dare, it had told her one thing: even after knowing her for barely an hour, Chloe had known competition would be just what Aubrey needed to get through.

* * *

The next time Aubrey was coerced into playing Truth or Dare, it was actually Chloe's idea. It was their senior year, and they'd somehow found themselves co-captaining the strangest band of Bellas of all time. Really, why would anyone want to be known as "Fat" Amy? Chloe had insisted on the game, claiming it would help them all bond.

"Oh, you mean like it bonded us and the old Bellas?" Aubrey whispered furiously to Chloe, pulling her aside almost as soon as the suggestion had left her mouth. "We promised, Chloe. We wouldn't make them do this."

Chloe was already shaking her head. "This won't be like that," she said. "This isn't initiation, and we won't make anyone do anything they don't want to do. It's just bonding!"

"I really don't think—"

"Okay, Bellas!" Chloe called to their new recruits, clapping her hands as she turned away from Aubrey and the whiteboards. "Form a circle, and we'll play!"

"Chloe!" Aubrey hissed, but her voice was lost under the mingled groans and cheers emitted by the ragtag group as they dragged their metal chairs into a sloppy circle that was really more of an ellipse.

"Does everyone know how to play?" Chloe asked, taking her own seat. "You just pick on a person, and have them choose between a truth or a dare, and then—"

"Yeah, we know, let's get on with it," Amy said loudly, waving her hand.

"Totes!" Chloe chirped. "Um, Beca, do you want to start?"

Aubrey had to bite back a sarcastic laugh; the alt girl that Chloe had begged her to let join looked about as happy about this as Aubrey felt.

"Um, I'm good," Beca muttered, her eyes flicking toward the door. "Maybe someone else wants to—"

"I'll go," Stacie said, looking delighted. "Chloe, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Chloe said, and Stacie's eyes gleamed.

"Who was that guy you were making out with at Hood Night?" she asked, leaning forward.

Aubrey rolled her eyes as most of the other girls "oooohed," though she noticed Beca took on a more sullen look than usual.

Chloe beamed and launched into an explanation of Tom, which kicked off the annoying game in full. Chloe dared Amy to stand on her chair and sing the alphabet (which she did, stretching it out for a full three minutes, making every letter into one ridiculously long, rather off-tune note); Amy picked Cynthia Rose, who chose dare (to Amy's disappointment) and subsequently had to attempt to perform a handstand; she looked at Lilly, who grinned evilly, before choosing Aubrey.

Aubrey sighed. "Truth."

Cynthia Rose grinned. "Do you hate the Trebles because you're secretly in love with Bumper?"

A few of the Bellas laughed, except for Chloe, who winced.

Aubrey smiled tightly. "No, Cynthia Rose, I hate them because they're immature assholes whose male energy taints those who are unfortunate enough to find themselves near to them," she answered, then looked across the circle. "Beca. Truth or dare?"

Beca rolled her eyes so hard that Aubrey was briefly concerned about retinal detachment. "How about neither?"

"Truth it is," Aubrey decided for her, ignoring Chloe's small sound of protest. "Are you boning Jesse?"

She knew it was a long shot (Beca had already denied her obvious toner and wasn't about to admit it in front of all of them) but maybe she'd catch Beca by surprise and be able to toss her snarky ass out of the Bellas.

"Oh my God! Again?" Beca asked, throwing her hands into the air. "Dude, you don't get it, do you?"

"I asked you—"

"Aubrey—"

"Okay, you know what?" Beca spoke over her and Chloe. "I have to be at the station for my actual job, not wasting time playing this—playing middle school games!" she stood from her chair quickly, grabbing her bag.

"Wait, Beca!" Chloe called after her, but Beca only glanced her way before storming out of the auditorium.

Chloe sighed and looked down at her lap. A trickle of guilt ran down Aubrey's spine; she hadn't meant for _that _to happen.

"So, are we still playing, or…" Amy trailed off.

"I can lead you to Ancient Mesopotamian art," Lily whispered.

"No, you guys can go," Chloe dismissed with an attempt at a smile. "Thanks for playing, that was really…" she stopped, her voice lost under the sound of seven metal chairs scraping backward as the new Bellas rose to their feet and started picking up their things. Stacie waved goodbye, but the rest of the girls wandered away and out of the auditorium without a second look.

Chloe wouldn't look at Aubrey; her eyes stayed focused on her lap even after everyone else was gone.

Aubrey cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "Look, Chloe, I'm—"

"Did you have to ask her that again?" Chloe asked, picking up her head to glare at Aubrey. "She already told you she isn't seeing him, and besides, you _know_ I—" she stopped abruptly, looking away again.

Aubrey shifted in her chair uncomfortably. "I didn't know she'd leave like that."

"You never even—you know what?" Chloe huffed. "I'm gonna walk home. I'll meet you there."

"Wait, Chloe, I can still drive us!" Aubrey called after her, but Chloe was already up and walking to the exit.

* * *

Aubrey had to hand it to herself; her retreat was a total success.

So what if maybe it had more to do with Beca finally realizing that her ass was not, in fact, a hat, and admitting to Chloe (and everyone, but mostly to Chloe) that she'd been doing a secret internship the entire time. Aubrey thought that was pretty impressive, actually, and was secretly pretty proud of Beca—not everyone gets an opportunity like that—and her confession seemed just the thing to fix whatever weirdness had been happening between all the Bellas.

The hope that the Bellas as an institution might actually continue following a potential success at the Worlds competition put Aubrey in a good mood. Such a good mood, actually, that she didn't even protest when Emily suggested a game of Truth or Dare around the campfire.

Instead, she joined in, having fun with it for the first time in her life because she was friends with every single person playing. She trusted them, and that made all the difference.

Emily dared Amy to put six marshmallows in her mouth at once, a feat which was accomplished happily; Amy got Flo to confess that she still sleeps with no fewer than twenty-eight Beanie Babies; Flo got her turn, and asked Lily what she was going to do over the summer, the answer to which Aubrey didn't catch but had both Flo and Amy reeling away from her in horror; no one could hear who Lilly called on, so Cynthia Rose took her turn and dared Stacie to play the rest of the game topless.

Aubrey was about to intervene at that point—the less nudity, the better—but Beca beat her to it.

"Oh come on, don't make her do that," she said, picking up a marshmallow to spear on the end of a stick. "The rest of us would have to suffer."

"You don't wanna see my goodies?" Stacie pouted, already reaching to take off her shirt. "It doesn't bother me."

"Your goodies might catch on fire," Beca deadpanned, now holding her stick out to roast the marshmallow.

Stacie looked horrified and crossed her arms immediately.

Beside Aubrey, Chloe started to laugh. "Okay, move on," she said, as the unofficial referee of the game. "Cynthia Rose, you can go again though."

Cynthia Rose paused. "If there's no nudity, they have to do it, right?"

Aubrey didn't like the look in her eyes.

Chloe frowned. "I… nothing illegal, either."

Cynthia Rose widened her eyes, the picture of innocence. "It's not illegal! Promise."

"I guess…" Chloe allowed slowly, and almost immediately, an evil look came over Cynthia Rose's face.

"Um—" Aubrey started, wanting to shout a general warning before—

"Chloe, truth or dare?" Cynthia Rose asked.

Chloe thought for a moment before replying, "Dare."

As soon as she said it, Aubrey knew it had been the wrong decision.

Cynthia Rose's smile widened. "I dare you to kiss Beca."

Aubrey's stomach panged unpleasantly. Around her, the Bellas went silent and still; Chloe stared, her mouth hanging open, and Beca sat frozen as the marshmallow at the end of her stick caught on fire.

Then it was like a switch flipped, and suddenly the campfire erupted with noise and Chloe was being urged up from her chair by Stacie and guided around the fire to stand in front of Beca, who still wasn't moving or blinking or even breathing that Aubrey could see.

And Aubrey was flung back to the seventh grade and Mitch Benson and something about the rigidity in Chloe's spine and the panic in Beca's face made her chest constrict because Aubrey wasn't blind; she knew exactly what had been going on between Chloe and Beca for years (even if they wouldn't admit it themselves) and she knew with complete certainty that neither of them would have wanted it to happen like this.

"Okay, hang on, stop!" she called out in her drill sergeant voice, and everyone stopped to look at her.

Aubrey took a breath, thinking fast. Chloe still looked like she was in shock; Beca's marshmallow had fallen into the flames long ago, and now the stick she still held was burning.

"Beca, drop your stick!" she said, and Beca snapped to life, dropping the flaming wood into the fire with a yelp. Aubrey sighed and continued, "We can't do this, guys, come on."

"But—but Chloe said!" Cynthia Rose sputtered. "She has to!"

"Right, yes, she did," Aubrey agreed, "and, um, I was going to say that we can't do this without a camera."

The relief on Beca and Chloe's faces turned to horror.

"So, um, Amy, can you go to the cabin and grab me the camera?"

"But we all have phones."

"Amy! Go get the camera!"

"All right, all right," Amy said, hands raised defensively as she stood and started walking toward the cabin. "I'm going! Yeesh, no need to get all—"

She was cut off by her own scream, hoisted into the air by yet another bear trap.

"Oh—Amy!" Cynthia Rose shouted and ran to her, followed closely by the rest of the Bellas apart from Beca and Chloe, who stared at Aubrey.

"Did you just…" Beca started.

Aubrey lifted a finger to her lips. "They'll forget all about it."

The smile that Chloe sent her made it all worth it.

"Okay, ladies, get in formation," Aubrey shouted to Cynthia Rose and the others, walking over to stand halfway between them and Beca and Chloe; she had to direct the take-down. "We've done this before, now, get under her!"

She tried not to listen, she really did. But she'd always had keen, military-grade hearing, and really, it wasn't like Beca and Chloe were being nearly as quiet as they should have been. But as she supervised and directed Amy's rescue for the second time that night, she overheard the conversation happening not ten feet behind her back.

"So, that was close," Beca huffed quietly (not quietly enough).

"Yeah, um, would have been really aca-awkward."

There was a pause during which Amy asked loudly for a juice box, and Aubrey pictured how Beca and Chloe were probably looking everywhere except at each other.

"Do you…" Chloe's voice was barely there, shaking with nerves. "Do you, you know, maybe want to… try that… without an audience?"

Aubrey stopped trying not to listen and instead focused all her attention on what was happening behind her (sorry, Amy).

"I… you mean, the, like, the… kissing thing?"

"Yeah. Only if you want!"

"Well, there's—I'm still—Jesse," Beca muttered, and Aubrey wanted to roll her eyes. She'd seen that one coming a mile away, too, and no one had listened.

"Oh." Aubrey winced at the disappointment in Chloe's voice.

"But," Beca said quickly. "I… well, he and I aren't…"

Aubrey's heart rate picked up.

"Look," Beca sighed, "let me talk to him first, and then, you know, maybe we can try…_ that_… not with an audience? I'd—I'd like to."

Aubrey could almost feel the excitement coming off Chloe without looking at her.

"Yeah, that's—totes."

"Totes," Beca said, and with great timing; the rope holding Amy up snapped, and she fell with a shout directly on top of Cynthia Rose and Flo.

"Um, great work!" Aubrey shouted over the chaos. "The teamwork was really…" she trailed off, no one listening to her, and glanced back in time to see Chloe reach out her hand and Beca take it, smiling at her more softly than she believed possible.

_Well_, thought Aubrey, satisfaction creeping through her. _Maybe Truth or Dare doesn't always have a bad ending._


End file.
